Young, 'The Most Experienced Astronaut US' Died

The United States Space Agency (NASA) announced the sad news on Saturday (6/1). John Young, the man who walked on the moon in 1972 died at the age of 87 years.

Young, "the most experienced American astronaut," breathed his last Friday (5/1) night after suffering from pneumonia.

"Today, NASA and the world are losing a pioneer," said NASA chief executive officer Robert Lightfoot. Young who travels to space six times is the ninth man who set foot on the moon.

He flew into space twice with the NASA Gemini program in the mid-1960s, twice with the Apollo Program, and twice with the space shuttle in the 1980s. He is the only person who flies into space in three programs.

Young first flew as an astronaut in 1965. At that time, he joined Gus Grissom in Gemini3.

Gemini 3 is the first human-controlled aircraft on NASA's early human space shuttle flight program.

The program helped the US space agency prepare for the Apollo landing on the moon.

In 1996, Young flew into space as Commander Gemini 10, which was the first mission to merge with two spacecraft on a single flight.

He also rounded the Moon in Apollo 10 in 1969 and landed there in 1972 as Commander of the Apollo 16 mission.

In 1981, Young became Commander of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission.

Some view the mission as "the most daring flight test in history." Two years later, in STS-9, which was his last space flight, Young landed the spacecraft with a fire appearing at the end of the plane, according to NASA.

Young retired from NASA in 2004 after 42 years of work.
 "In every way, he (Young, red) is an astronaut astronaut, we'll miss him," Lightfoot said.
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Astronaut John Young, who passed away at age 87, led a storied career that spanned three generations of spaceflight. He flew to space six times in the Gemini, Apollo & Space Shuttle programs. See images from his career: http://go.nasa.gov/2m4fuUz
 8:13 AM - Jan 7, 2018
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Former US President George HW Bush called Young, "more than just a good friend."

"He is a fearless patriot whose courage and commitment to the task of helping our nation return to the horizon of discovery in critical moments."

Young was supposed to lead a flight into space in 1986, but was suspended after the Challenger spacecraft exploded a year earlier.